1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to security systems and, more particularly, to a vehicular surveillance system that is adapted to video tape the interior of a vehicle upon detection of an intrusion.
Vehicular intrusion alarms are well known. It is all too common to hear an automobile alarm sounding in both urban and rural areas. These alarm indications have become so common that they are generally ignored by practically everyone except perhaps the owner of the vehicle. Often, it is the owner who has in fact inadvertently activated the alarm by opening a door before deactivating the alarm or by accidentally pressing a “panic” button on a remote car door opening device. Regardless of whether the alarm is triggered accidentally or in response to detecting an unauthorized entry, for example a break-in, people tend to ignore automobile alarms, thereby defeating their efficacy at detecting and deterring theft.
This theft may be of the vehicle or of the contents that are disposed in the vehicle, for example articles left in the interior of the vehicle or stereo equipment.
It is difficult to catch car thieves in general. Law enforcement personnel do not generally have the resources to elevate the theft of a car stereo or the contents that are left in a vehicle and stolen to a high enough priority to devote resources to both recovery and prosecution. Often, there are no witnesses to the crime or no way to identify the contents that are stolen and associate them with the rightful owner.
Because these types of crimes are not usually violent or regarded as being as serious as other crimes, forensic resources are also usually limited. We do not typically hear of law enforcement personnel obtaining DNA and other sophisticated types of forensic evidence after a stolen vehicle has been recovered or after a purse has been stolen from inside of a vehicle. Therefore, the apprehension rate for suspects for such types of crimes is low and the prosecution and conviction rates are even lower.
It is desirable to provide an acceptable record of an intrusion that is useful in identifying an intruder of an automobile and which documents his actions sufficient to result in arrest and prosecution and which can also be used to identify stolen property.
Video recording equipment inside a vehicle is known for use by law enforcement personnel to look forward of a police vehicle (i.e., out the front window) and to video tape the actions of police and those whom they encounter. Such equipment is always videotaping events whenever the police vehicle is in use.
This is not practical for individual surveillance to detect when an intrusion occurs as it would be both impractical as well as cost prohibitive to attempt to videotape constantly.
Furthermore, it is desirable to videotape not only an instrument cluster area of the vehicle, but to videotape a larger section of the vehicle's interior and front or dash area. It is also desirable to hide the camera and recorder from sight so that an intruder does not know if he or she is being videotaped. If such equipment were available, it would deter theft of both automobiles and their contents.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a vehicle surveillance system that helps to ameliorate the above described problems.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Vehicle security and surveillance systems are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:                U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,186 to Peterson, Aug. 14, 1990;        U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,090 to Rosenbaum, May, 1975;        U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,265 to Olesen, July, 1980;        U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,110 to Cotton et al, December, 1986; and        U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,683 to Robinson, Aug. 13, 2002.        
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices and many other patents not cited, at first appearance, may have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.